Rugby: Julian Savea announces he's staying at Toulon despite rocky times with club owner

Julian Savea. Photo / Getty

Julian Savea has confirmed he will stay at Toulon, despite a fractious relationship with the club's eccentric owner Mourad Boudjellal.

The pair have part-mended their relationship, with Boudjellal backtracking on his comical but hurtful comments about the 2015 World Cup star.

Boudjellal made the explosive comments following the side's 19-10 Top 14 defeat to Agen in February.

"I'm going to ask for a DNA test. They must have swapped him on the plane [when he joined from the Hurricanes last year]. If I were him I would apologise and go back to my home country," Mourad Boudjellal told French radio RMC.

Mourad Boudjellal, Owner of RC Toulon. Photo / Getty

"I've told him that he was free to go and wasn't welcome at Toulon any more," he added.

Bring on the last game of the season this weekend 💥💥 and hopefully next season you guys will see us in the finals 🙌🏾 #RCT #OnwardsAndUpwards pic.twitter.com/GxZJOOzqyy

— Julian Savea (@juliansavea7) May 21, 2019

Thanks for the video 🤘🏾and yes I’m staying, leaving was never an option for me 💥 https://t.co/JR9wsV0Kr7

— Julian Savea (@juliansavea7) May 22, 2019

Former All Black wing Savea, who earns over $1.6m a year, has told an adoring fan on Twitter that "leaving was never an option".

Earlier, he tweeted "hopefully next season you guys will see us in the finals" as the last game of the current season approached.

Savea missed last weekend's final home game win against Clermont after having to pull out from the starting line-up due to illness.